Container for use as exercise apparatus having fluent mass therein

ABSTRACT

Volume of excess semi-fluid tissue in hypogastric and umbilical and related regions of the human operator&#39;&#39;s abdomen is selectively reduced by manipulation of operator powered impact producing apparatus to selectively develop forced oscillations in such tissue and express liquid therefrom. The apparatus comprises an elongated container having rigid end walls and an intermediate wall forming a closed chamber. The inside of the chamber is partially filled with a fluent material. On the end walls of the container are located rigid handles, each of which extends laterally from the end wall to which it is attached. By these handles, a user holds the device with his hands in order to perform the above mentioned manipulation.

United States Johnson Patent [191 I Sept. 4, 1973 PrimaryExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-R. T. StoufferAttorney-Ely Silverman ABSTRACT Volume of excess semi-fluid tissue inhypogastric and umbilical and related regions of the human operatorsabdomen is selectively reduced by manipulation of operator poweredimpact producing apparatus to selectively develop forced oscillations insuch tissue and express liquid therefrom. The apparatus comprises anelongated container having rigid end walls and an intermediate wallforming a closed chamber. The inside of the chamber is partially filledwith a fluent material. On the end walls of the container are locatedrigid handles, each of which extends laterally from the end wall towhich it is attached. By these handles, a user holds the device with hishands in order to perform the above mentioned manipulation.

5 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures [76] Inventor: Lorene M..Johnson, Rt. 4,Hereford,

Tex. 79046 57 [22] Filed: Nov. 9, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 196,958

[52] U5. Cl. 272/57 R, 272/84 [51] Int. Cl A63b 23/02 [58] Field ofSearch 272/57 R, 81, 84, 272/79 C {56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,509,810 5/1950 Core Q. 272/84 l,019,584 3/l9l2 Balston 272/84l,658,l08 2/l928 Vaughn 272/84 l,552,073 9/1925 Mansfeldt 272/84 Ill 'PAIENIEUSEP 4mm 3.756 2 sum 1N2 L FIG. 5 F/G.6 FIG? FIG. 8

PATENTEDSEP 4197s- I SHEET.20F-2 99m mm 3 rwontoz L E NE M. JOHNSONCONTAINER FOR USE AS EXERCISE APPARATUS HAVING FLUENT MASS THEREINBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of artto which this invention pertains is exercising apparatuses.

2. Description of the Prior Art A mass of semi-fluid tissue frequentlydevelops and accumulates in women after childbirth and in middle age inboth men and women below the skin and external to the muscle layers inthe anterior umbilical and hypogastric or pubic regions of the abdomenand, also, in the anterior lumbar and inguinal regions of the abdomenand, in the back, between the muscles and the skin in the lumbar region(the region of the lumbar vertebrae). This mass of semi-fluid tissue issubstantially unresponsive to all prior attempts at removal by massage,

known exercises or diet although diuretics effect reduc- SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION This apparatus and method selectively causes the mass ofsemi-fluid tissue in the umbilical and hypogastric regions of theanterior abdomen of an operator of the apparatus and method to oscillateat a sufficiently rapid frequency to express fluid from such tissue.Such oscillation is effected by applying sufficiently rapidly repeatedsharp impacts to such tissue to express liquid from such tissue and thusdeplete such tissue of its liquid content and, accordingly, reduce thebulk thereof.

The impacts are provided by the method using synergistic combination ofthe impact producing apparatus with the skeleton and musculature of theoperator to substantially selectively apply impulses to such tissues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of an operatorusing the apparatus of this invention; this figure is shown broken awayto show some of the relationships of the pelvic girdle of the skeletonto the remainder of the body of the operator during use of theapparatus.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front views ofan operator 40 in two different stagesof operation of the apparatus 30 at the two most lateral extents of itsmotion;

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus 30 at the right side of the operator;

FIG. 3 shows the apparatus 30 at the left side of the operator. A

FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows the skeleton of an operator to show someof the relations of joints and bony structures referred to in thefollowing description of the use of the apparatus 30.

FIGS. 5-12 are each a diagrammatic view on vertical longitudinal section5B-5B of FIG. 14 to show the p0 sition of the fluent mass 37 in theinterior of apparatus 30 at each of several sequential stages in theprocess of operation of the apparatus 30 according to the process ofthis invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view of apparatus 30, partly broken away, to show theinterior thereof.

' FIG. 14 is an end view along direction of arrow 13A of FIG. 14 to showa side view of apparatus 30.

FIGS. 15 through 22 are diagrammatic showings of horizontal transversesections through the plane l5A--l5A of FIG. I and show, with somediagrammatic exaggeration, the position of the torso 39 and semi-fluenttissues 64 and 63 of operator 40 during the operation of the apparatus30 at various positions of the apparatus 30 relative to the operator 40.

In reference to all the figures herein right and left are the right andleft of the figure as the figure faces the reader hereof rather than theright and left of the reader viewing the figures.

The definitions of regions of the abdomen as used herein are set out atpage 3 of column 3 of Websters New International Dictionary Merriam Co.Publishers, 1961, Second Edition Unabridged and Gray's Anatomy, pagel,l36 and 1,138, 23rd Edition, Lea and Ferbiger, Philadelphia, 1936.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The apparatus 30 comprises aflat imperforate rigid left end wall 31, a flat imperforate rigidcircular right end wall 32 and an imperforate rigid intermediate wall ofright cylindrical shape 33 therebetween and firmly and rigidly joined atits ends to the walls 31 and 32.

The end walls 31 and 32 are parallel to each other and, with the wall33, encompass a right cylindrical chamber 34.

A rigidleft U-shaped handle 35 is firmly and rigidly attached at itscentral upper and lower ends to outside of the left end wall 31 and arigid right U-shaped handle 36 is firmly and rigidly attached at itscentral upper and lower ends to the outside of right end wall 32. Bothhandles have the same size, shape and weight; each handle extends in thevertical plane; i.e. parallel to each other, and extends laterally indirection of length of central longitudinal axis of the intermediatewall 33 and perpendicularly to the end wall to which attached. Eachhandle is symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis of wall 33.

A mass of sand 37 is located within the chamber 34. Its upper surface 38does not reach to the middle diameter of the chamber 34. Walls 31, 32and 33 form an air-tight rigid container 39: the handles extendtransversely to the length of said container.

In the particular embodiment shown the container 39 has a length left toright as shown in FIG. 13 of 6% inches and a height of 5 inches. Thehandles are made of 4; inch steel with ribbon 'therearound to a totalthickness of one-fourth inch. The walls 31 and 32 are 0.010 inch thick,the 0.015 inch thick and the container itself weighes 10 ounces and hasan interior volume of cubic inches.

The sand has a volume of 32% cubic inches and weighs between 1% and 2%pounds. The particle size is about +0.005 inch to 0.020 inch, and freeflowing and chemically inert and non-powdery.

An erect female operator 40, shown in FIGS. 1-3 in front view, standingerect with clothing loose around the abdominal region holds theapparatus 30 by its handles 35 and 36. In this operation the ladyoperator 40 stands flatfooted and erect facing forward, with shouldersparallel to a line across the side-to-side width of her head andparallel the floor with left foot 61 and right foot 62 touching. Theleft ankle 59 and right ankle 60 are also close or touching each otherand the two feet 61 and 62 are parallel and pointed straight forward atright angles to a line between the shoulders of the operator. In thisposition also the left and right knees 55 and 56, respectively, of theoperator also are in contact or within inch of each other. The upperleft and right arms, 41 and 42, of the operator 40 are vertical and herelbows 43 and 44 are at her waistline. The operators hands 45 and 46hold the handles 35 and 36, respectively with hands 45 and 46 atvertical level of the elbows 43 and 44. The operator then shakes theapparatus 30 by rapidly and repeatedly moving it from the right side ofthe body at the same height, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 22, along ahorizontal line spaced forward of the operators abdomen to the left sideof operators body as shown in FIGS. 3 and 18.

More particularly, on repeated cycles of movement of apparatus 30 andoperator 40 from the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 22 to the positionshown in FIGS. 3 and 18 and back again to the position of FIGS. 2 and 22at a frequency of 19 to 20 times in 5 h to 6 seconds the semi-fluenttissue 64 of the torso 49, which tissue is located exteriorly of themuscles that encompass the umbilical and hypogastric regions of theabdomen is rapidly moved and jolted in such manner and degree as toprovide for reduction in the volume of such tissue, as is more fullydescribed herebelow. Such reduction is effected without chafing orbruising the skin and safely by this method andapparatus.

In operation the operator 40 repeatedly moves the apparatus 30 leftwardsfrom the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 22 and 12 to the position shownin FIGS. 3 and 18 and 8, then back rightwardly to the position shown inFIGS. 2 and 22. As seen from the front and diagrammatically shown inFIGS. 8 and 12 the contents of the chamber 34 are vigorously thrown withsome impact so that the upper surface 38 of the mass 37 in the apparatus30 flows first (on leftward motion) against the left wall 31 in theposition of the apparatus 30 shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 and 18. The movementof the apparatus in a direction toward the right side of the op erator,Le. a movement in the direction of the arrow 71 of FIG. 18, moves theapparatus 30 toward the operators right and the fluent mass of sand 37in the chamber 34 is, develops momentum in the sand resulting from suchmotion from the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 and 18 to the positionshown in FIGS. 2 and 12 and 22. That motion of the apparatus 30 in thedirection of arrow 71; i.e., from the left of the operator to theoperators right initiates a piling up of suchmaterial in a verticallyextending column at wall 32 (of. FIG.

12). Subsequent motion toward the operators left asshown in FIGS. 15-17moves apparatus 30 and provides impact against wall 31.

As the apparatus 30 moves to the left and the operator reduces the speedof the apparatus 30 in a direction toward the operators left and fluentmass slides toward the left hand end 31 and upper surface thereofassumes the shape as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Still further motion to theleft of the operator with a deceleration concommitant on imminentreversal of motion causes the sandy mass 37 to shift very dramaticallyfrom the higher portion on the righthand side as in FIG. 7 to theleft-hand side 31 of the container. On initial movement 0F the operatorsleft hand 45 toward the operators right the fluent mass 37 continues itsmotion toward that wall due at least in part to the momentum of the mass37 resulting from its motion from the position thereof in FIGS. 5, 6 and7 as well as the prior motion to the left of the operator's hands 46 and45. Position in FIGS. 2, 12 and 22 is a point of high acceleration withthe mass 37 piled up against the right-hand wall 32. Continued motion ofthe operator's hands 46 and 45 toward the operators left with a greatervelocity (but less acceleration) than at the position of FIG. 5 to theposition of maximum velocity toward the left as shown diagrammaticallyin FIG. 6 provides orientation of the mass 37 as shown in FIG. 6 whereinthe surface 38 is less steeply sloped than in FIG. 5 because of thelowered rate of leftward acceleration during such movement and theinfluence of gravity to level the surface 38 to a horizontal position.Further motion of the apparatus 30 toward the operator's left as shownin FIG. 7 provides that the mass 37 is more evenly distributed over thebottom of the container 33 because the acceleration then has a minimumvalue. Fluent mass 37 then moves from the position shown in FIGS. 7 and17 to that shown in FIGS. 8 and 18. With such further motion of theapparatus 30 toward the position of the operator 40 and the apparatus 30shown in FIGS. 3 and 18 with a definite deceleration of the container ofapparatus 30 to the left or acceleration to the right the mass 37 shiftsstrongly within container 35 to the lefthand side of the container 35and the surface 38, due to the momentum of the mass 37 (because of themotion of the apparatus 30 from the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 22 tothe position shown in FIG. 17 urges the mass 37 against left-hand wall31, forming an impact against the wall 31 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 18.

Following this position of the apparatus 30 and operator 40 theoperators left-hand then moves the container 35 toward the right of theoperator and this in turn, due to the momentum of the mass 37 movingfrom the position shown in FIGS. 7 (and 17) with the motion of the wall31 from the left-hand side of the operator toward the right continues animpact by and concentration of the mass 37 against that left-hand wall31.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 the human female anatomy is arranged so thatthe spine 48 is attached to the hip bone 47 with the most forward oranterior part 50 of the spine close to but above the hip bone in avertical line substantially over the straight line joining the joints inwhich the L-shaped femurs or thigh bones 51 and'52 are seated in theseats (acetabulums) therefor as 53 and 54 in the hip bone 47.Accordingly the bone structure and ligaments of the knees and hipsprovide for a relatively easily effected rotating action of the hips 49of the operator about a vertical axis passing through the anteriorportion 50 of the spine during this operation.

On initiation of operation of this process by the operator 40 the headand neck and collarbond and shoulderblades of the operator are held in afixed location and position, mainly facing straight ahead and level asshown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Starting at position of FIGS. 2 and 22 withthe shoulders at such fixed location and position the muscles on theright side of the operators chest draw the right arm 42 toward theoperators left; at the same time the muscles on the left side of theback draw the left arm to the left of the operator (generally as shownin FIG. 15). Such movement causes a slight rotation of the hips, (asseen from above) in a clockwise direction as shown sequentially in FIGS.22, 15 and 16 with some exaggeration to more effectively illustrate suchmovement.

At and near the left end of travel of the apparatus 30, while the head,neck and shoulderblade and the collarbone are still in the same fixedposition, as at the initiation of the operation, and when the hipbonesare in and near their most clockwise position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and18 the muscles of the left side of the operators chest then draw uponand move the leftarm and hand toward the right side of the operator andthe muscles on the right side of the back draw upon and move the rightarm 42 and hand toward the right side of the operator 40 and theoperators hips begin to and do turn counterclockwise (as seen fromabove) as shown in FIGS. 19, 20 and 21.

This clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the hipbone 47 (orpelvis) is a result of the above described arm movements and resistancedue to inertia of fluent mass 37 in chamber 34 to such movements andthat the bones of the chest are relatively firmly attached to the spine,as are the muscles of the back; hence such movements of the arms andapparatus 30 in each direction causes the chest bones and spine and hipbone or pelvic girdle 47 to move in the opposite direction. Suchtendency to move the chest bones, spine and pelvic girdle effects suchmovement because of the relatively free rotation of the hip or pelvicgirdle on the ball and socket joints 53 and 54 for the thighbones 51 and52 and the back and forth pivotal motion of skin bones 57 and 58 atankle joints 59 and 60 in the erect posture of the operator 40, incombination with the fixed position of the operators feet 61 and 62 onthe floor and the fixed position of the head and neck and collarbone andthe elastic pivoting about a vertical axis permitted the pelvic girdleby the bones and joints and muscles near.

the spine and pelvic girdle of the operator.

The impulse applied to the apparatus 30 by the fluent mass 37 is appliedto the skeletal frame of the operator 40 at each extreme position; i.e.,at each extreme position as in FIG. 2 and FIG. 22 and the oppositepositions of FIGS. 3 and 18. Impulse provided by such impact applied tothe ends of the apparatus 30 is transmitted to the semi-fluent tissue atfront zone 64 and rear zone 63 which are the movable members of aconnected series of elastically deformable yet relatively rigidelements; i.e., the arm bones, the chest bones 69, back bone or spine 48and the muscles attached to the backbone, with flesh at zones 63 and 64supported at the exterior is transmitted to the right elbow, right arm,shoulder and then the spine 48 of the operator and thence to the musclesin the zone of the umbilical and right and left lumbar regions of theoperator. These are tense and elastic tissues and transmit the energy ofthe impact to a mass of movable tissue at zone 64 and give such tissuean equal impulse in the direction that the mass 37 has been theretoforetraveling. When the mass 37 moves to the operators right as shown inFIGS. 18-22 the fluent mass provides a substantial impulse and impact inthe direction rightwards of the operator the movable tissue 64 is thenmoved sharply in the rightward direction as shown in FIG. 22. There issuperimposed upon this rapid vibrational movement of the mass 64 theslight twisting of the torso as is shown in FIGS. 15 through 22. Thistwist motion of the torso is measured by the movement of the superioriliac spine of the pelvis 47: such twisting of the hips provides onlyfor a motion of about one-half inch backwards and forwards from theposition shown in FIG. 22 to the position shown in FIG. 18. In theoperation provided herein the slight mass of the apparatus 30 has nogreat momentum developed yet the impact is effectively applied throughthe rigid and elastic portions of the body to the freely movable tissuessupported in the region of the hip bones, as 64 (and 63).

The leftward impact of the mass 37 at the left hand end of travel asshown in FIGS. 3 and 18 is thus applied to the operators hands and armsand skeletal frame (including chest bones and spine and pelvic girdle).Such members of the skeletal frame elastically change their position andthen elastically return to their position and thereby transmit theelastic deformation due to such impact to the umbilical semi fluenttissue: such impact is so effected to rapidly as to so rapidly shift orjolt'such semi fluent tissue at zone 64 still further to the operatorsleft that the skin of the operator immediately overlying such semifluent tissue is distended and protrudes outwardly and laterally of itsnormal position. Such protrusion shows andis palpable as showing ashifting of liquid from one portion of such umbilical and hypogastricsemi-fluent tissue to another zone of of the muscles being relativelyfreely movable. Thereby the semi-fluid tissue at zones 63 and 64 arerapidly jolted as if the impact developed in the apparatus 30 wasdirectly applied to such tissues. Such impact depends upon the velocityof the mass 37. It is not necessary that the mass 37 be large enough toeffect the position of the torso to the degree as is diagrammaticallyshown in FIGS. 15 through FIG. '22 although such movement of the torsodoes occur to 'a slight degree. Accordingly, the operation of theapparatus 30 provides that there is a transmittal of kinetic energy fromthe impulse of the moving mass 37 to the masses of semi fluent tissue ingenerally the same manner as when there is a square or full impactbetween one moving bilsuch tissue normally laterally leftward thereof.The pulse of tissue is particularly palpable and noticeable at the leftinguinal and left lumbar regions of the abdo- 'men.

The rightward impact of the mass 37 at the righthand end of travel asshown in FIGS. 2 and 22 is applied to the operators handsand arms andskeletal frame (including chest bones and spine and pelvic girdle). Suchmembers of the skeletal frame elastically change their position and thenelastically, return to their position and thereby transmit the elasticdeformation due to such impact to the umbilical semi-fluent tissue:

such impact is so effected (as above) as to 'so rapidly shift or joltsuch semi-fluent tissue at zone 64 still furliard ball and a series ofstationary and adjacent billiard ther to the operators right that theskin of the operator immediately overlying such semi-fluent tissue isdistended and protrudes outwardly and laterally of its normal position.Such protrusion shows and is palpable as showing a shifting of liquidfrom one portion of such umbilical and hypogastric semi-fluent tissue toanother zone of such tissue normally laterally rightward thereof. Thepulse of tissue is particularly palpable and noticeable at the rightlumbar and right inguinal regions of the abdomen.

The motion of the operation of the preferred embodiment of apparatus 30above described requires only a total of 8 inches movement of theoperators hands from the position of the apparatus 30 in FIG. 2 to itsposition shown in FIG. 3. FIGS. 2 and 3 are to scale. Generally thewidth of the apparatus 30 is about onehalf the width of the hips of theuser and the movement is about 1 times the right to left length of thechamber 34. The length of the movement should be greater than the lengthof the apparatus but the total movement of the apparatus should be nogreater than movement concomitant on the operator moving her left handno further left than the lateral extent of the leftmost extent of thebody, and moving the right hand no further right than the lateral extentof the rightmost extent of the body with a length of movement in excessof the length of the chamber across which the fluent mass travels tocreate the impact that is applied to the semi-fluent tissue in thehypogastric and umbilical regions of the abdomen.

While principal interest is in reducing the bulk of the mass of thesemi-fluent subcutaneous tissues exterior to the muscles at the front ofthe abdomen in the umbilical and hypogastric zones 64, extra muscularsubcutaneous semi-fluent tissue at rear of the operators body near tothe top of the pelvic girdle is also similarly acted upon as shown inFIGS. 15-22 and reduced size as above described for zone referred to as63.

In the preferred embodiment about 5 minute periods of operation as abovedescribed in relation to FIGS. 5-12 and -21 are preferred once a daywith clothing loose about the waist and hips. Such a program of use witha female operator 5 feet 5 inches tall in stocking feet weighing 149pounds reduced her weight to 135 pounds during a one-month period ofusual diet and absence of stress. The operator usually experiencespassage of larger amounts of water following the use of apparatus abovedescribed. In the above described program of use the operatorexperienced a reduction in measurement around the body between the crestof the pelvic girdle and the hip joint 53 and 54; i.e., at the sectionshown as 15A-15A in FIG. 1, of 3 to 4 inches.

While the particular size and shape of container are a preferredembodiment, similarly functioning apparatuses may also be used, with thefluent mass formed of sufficiently large particles as to not escape fromthe container therefor, thus the container should be imperforate where aliquid or a liquid slurry is used but a perforated container may be usedwhere only solid particulate material is used so long as the particlesof the fluent mass have, like the mass of sand 37, substantially noelasticity as a mass so that as much as possible of the kinetic energyof motion of the fluent mass 37 shown in FIGS. 5-12 is converted toimpact and the particles are of a sufficiently large size to not passthrough the perforations. The material used should be sufficientlymechanically stable to not break down during the above described motionshown in FIGS. 5-12. The container 39 should have a weight of less than1 pound to minimize the momentum aspects of the oscillation of theapparatus and accentuate the impact forces. If it is air-tight as incontainer 39 changes in humidity do not change the fluidity of the mass37.

Other materials of similar total weight and rigidity may be used for thecontainer; e.g., plastic and glass with rounded edges but metal ispreferred for weight and safety means,

The mass 37 should be within the range of 25 to 200 percent of theweight of the semi-fluent tissue 64 for the reduction of which theapparatus 30 is used. The amount of travel of the apparatus 30 (positionof FIG. 2 to position of FIG. 3) provides that the center of gravity ofthe fluent mass 37 moves a lateral distance less than the width of theoperators hips, and a greater distance than one-third of such distance.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 a ribbon, as 73, may be attached to both ofthe handles to render the appearance of apparatus 30 more appealing andthe exterior of the container colored in pastel shades.

I claim:

1. Exercise apparatus comprising, in operative combination, a rigidelongated container and fluent mass therein,

said container comprising a first rigid end wall, a second rigid endwall and a rigid intermediate wall of straight outline therebetween,each end wall firmly attached to an opposite end of said intermediatewall and parallel to each other, a closed chamber enclosed between saidend walls and said intermediate wall; a fluent mass confined within saidchamber, said fluent mass having a volume of between one-fifth andone-third of the volume of said container; and rigid handle means firmlyattached to and projecting laterally from each of said end walls, saidcontainer being of a size and said fluid mass being of a weight to besupported by a user with a hand grasping each respective handle means,and wherein said intermediate wall has a central longitudinal axis ofsymmetry within said chamber, and said end walls have a straight outlineand are perpendicular to said axis and intermediate wall and each ofsaid handles has a rigid lateral portion thereof extending laterally ofand spaced away from one of said end wallsand extending transversely tothe direction of length of said container.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the fluent mass has a weight of l ,6to 2 56 pounds and the container has a mass of less than 1 pound.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said fluent mass is sand having avolume of 32% inches within a chamber having a volume of cubic inchesand a length of 6% inches.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the fluent mass has the fluidity andlack of elasticity of a volume of free-flowing non-powdery, chemicallyinert sand with a particle size between 0.005 and 0.020 inches.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said end walls and said intermediatewalls are imperforate and the fluent mass comprises a liquid.

:0: r a a

1. Exercise apparatus comprising, in operative combination, a rigidelongated container and fluent mass therein, said container comprising afirst rigid end wall, a second rigid end wall and a rigid intermediatewall of straight outline therebetween, each end wall firmly attached toan opposite end of said intermediate wall and parallel to each other, aclosed chamber enclosed between said end walls and said intermediatewall; a fluent mass confined within said chamber, said fluent masshaving a volume of between one-fifth and one-third of the volume of saidcontainer; and rigid handle means firmly attached to and projectinglaterally from each of said end walls, said container being of a sizeand said fluid mass being of a weight to be supported by a user with ahand grasping each respective handle means, and wherein saidintermediate wall has a central longitudinal axis of symmetry withinsaid chamber, and said end walls have a straight outline and areperpendicular to said axis and intermediate wall and each of saidhandles has a rigid lateral portion thereof extending laterally of andspaced away from one of said end walls and extending transversely to thedirection of length of said container.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1wherein the fluent mass has a weight of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds and thecontainer has a mass of less than 1 pound.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 2wherein said fluent mass is sand having a volume of 32 1/2 inches withina chamber having a volume of 125 cubic inches and a length of 6 1/2inches.
 4. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the fluent mass has thefluidity and lack of elasticity of a volume of free-flOwing non-powdery,chemically inert sand with a particle size between 0.005 and 0.020inches.
 5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said end walls and saidintermediate walls are imperforate and the fluent mass comprises aliquid.